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Date Posted: 23:48:59 11/24/99 Wed
Author: Belamore
Subject: Belamore V

Belamore V

Lord Justin and Scar dismounted and stormed into the taxidermist's shop,
undisturbed by the smell of musty death that hung about the place.

"Shopkeeper!" Justin bellowed taking long strides across the cluttered
room filled with stuffed animals and foul smelling birds. He split the
curtain that separated the back room from the main room with his sword
and barged in; finding Mirten working on the dragon head. "Stop!"
Justin ordered. "Scar, take that wretched thing. Quickly, there's
little time."

"But, M'lord, I have not finished..." Mirten stopped at the tip of
Justin's sword.

Justin pushed the little old man back against the wall and followed Scar
to the horses. They mounted quickly and made for the castle.

"But M'Lord! I have but scraped only the left brain out and stuffed the
right with corn and husk..." but Justin and the rider rounded the
corner and were gone. "And...I have not been paid..." Mirten sighed,
slapped the sides of his legs and shook his head. "Chivalry.' He
shuttered looking at his torn curtain.

.............

The canapé over the forest barred the moonlight and the fog clouded the
earth under an eerie, moving mist beneath my inching donkey cart. The
donkey, Hotee, knew well the way from castle sable to Papa Benardo's
cottage. In these many years since I had fallen in the battle of Dead
Pine we had been over this route many times for adjustments to my wooden
leg and cedar chest, the cuirass, that covered my back and heart where
the flesh had been tramped raw. I no longer hear that mournful singing
of a wood nymph, no doubt mourning a lost lover in this night.

**********
My eyes closed as the cart rattled forward and I drifted off thinking of
all the maiden heads that I had stolen when I was a young and handsome
prince. A foolish prince without regard for the callow theft of a
prizes that meant nothing to me, just a conquest for my lust...deeper
into sleep my mind crept over shadows that became bodies and corpses of
sons and lovers; of fathers and brothers that I had slain as warrior
prince, as conquering king and my head inflamed with screams and wailing
cries of mothers and maidens and widows and sisters and tears and rivers
of blood did rage and flood into oceans rushing to drown a legless
swimmer swallowing the...

I woke in sweat as a thousand times before, searching my vest for the
flask...it was gone.
The curse for my reckless youth and wasted strength was ugliness and
maim; to tend the waste of animals and pray for death that would not
come, to live as Belamore and live with horses more noble than I had
ever been.

Just a few more miles to go. Only Lady Dolimite had ever taken pity
looking beyond the sight of me. She saw me only as a wounded soldier,
never knowing I was the king. Her father, Benardo, kept this secret
well, even from his own wife and daughter. She bathed my stumps and
scars and crushed in face and never turned away; singing all the while,
as I pretended to be asleep. Each morning she would rise and ride
bareback and barefoot on her palomino, Pax. Horse and rider as one, the
palomino's mane flowing with her silken hair giving purpose for the
wind...Then the queen had chosen her to be her lady in waiting and she
went away leaving me only with dreams of never ending pain and
light...seeing her face and knowing it would never be close to mine...

Then once a year or less ago a dream in a drunken stupor she came to me
in the royal stable and...aah but that was a dream I had a thousand
nights in wine and wish that only added to this curse of being Belamore
forever to pay for all my sins.

But why matter my mind and trouble my uncovered heart behind this wooden
shield. In the wretched state I am in...and even if I regained my
throne I could never offer her the crown in return for me as this...why
do I torment my lost soul with dreams of kings and things?

My eyes wide open I called to donkey Hotee urging him to hurry.
Yonder back the castle bells began ringing and ringing. Something is
amuck...the bells would not dong for less in this late
hour....but...another sound...what is that sound...rushing air, swooping
sound and something stabbed into my back...!!!

...................
Continued.........

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